Harry has made no secret of his desire to return to active duty, having spent the last three years changing his military direction from an armoured reconnaissance troop leader to an Army helocopter pilot in order to be posted back to Afghanistan.

A St James's Palace spokesman said: "He's approached the deployment with a range of emotions like any other soldier and feels both pride and anticipation as he deploys for a job he's trained for, for so long.

"Prince Harry, like any soldier, considers it a great honour to represent his country in Her Majesty's armed forces wherever it chooses to deploy him."

Prince Harry views an apache helicopter in Afghanistan

Harry is now set to put his nude antics in Las Vegas behind him after reportedly receiving a dressing-down from a senior officer.

Harry's return to frontline duty comes after 18 months of rigorous training, both in the UK and the US, after which he won a prize as the best Apache co-pilot gunner when he qualified in February.

He will fly various types of mission while stationed in Afghanistan, from escorting RAF Chinook helicopters carrying troops or equipment to targeting Taliban fighters who have attacked ground troops.

Before deploying, Harry said his goodbyes to his immediate family, staying with his father at his Scottish retreat Birkhall on the Queen's private Balmoral estate during the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August.

His brother the Duke of Cambridge wished him well when they met at William's home at Kensington Palace earlier this week.